Everything is relative in terms of our exercise behaviors, and sometimes ANY exercise is better than no exercise, that is for SURE!

However, I often try steer people away from cardiovascular machines like bikes and eliptical machines, not because they aren’t good forms of exercise, but because the allow us to be lazy and rationalize while we exercise!  Everything I say should always be taken with a grain of salt…because there are always arguments against what I am saying…I just try to get the main idea across sometimes.

As human beings, we are constantly finding rationalizations about why we don’t have to do what we know is good for us…it is when we can be truly honest about these things, when we can realize the results we really are after!

Every person is different when it comes to “pushing” themselves during exercise.  Some people I know are gluttons for punishment, and they can push themselves too hard…but from experience this is not the norm.  Most people “prefer” these exercises because they seem easier than the treadmill or stairmaster….and most of the time they are!  It is because WE control the workout pace and intensity, and at any given moment, when it becomes slightly uncomfortable, we ease back and slow down.

One of the key concepts of achieving consistent and substantial results in a fitness program is workout intensity.  This is something that we each must learn about ourselves as we begin, and it often takes a month or so to really feel comfortable pushing our body to its own limits.  This varies greatly from one person to the next, just as willpower and pain thresholds vary.  (Also one of the reasons why it really helps to have a trainer that helps to find your limits with you).

The faster you can find your limits, and push beyond them, the faster your results will come.  It’s really a balance, because pushing too hard can be discouraging because it is so uncomfortable, and pushing too little just ends up feeling like a waste of time because we don’t see much progress.  So this whole process, about learning how to go outside of our “comfort zone”, is something each of us must find as it is always different for each of us.

So when we compare a treadmill workout to an eliptical, if we set a treadmill to 4.0mph and decide we are going to walk for 30 minutes, it is often different than getting on an eliptical machine for 30 minutes.  The simple act of pressing the decrease speed button on the treadmill is enough of a difference to keep us working a little harder, because on an eliptical, there are no buttons to push, we simply slow down whenever we like, and it’s not so much a finite decision we are making.

I’m not saying that you can’t get a GREAT workout on an eiliptical machine…but I am saying we all may have the tendency to be lazy if we can be…

An update based on some of Vickie’s comments!

I don’t mean to simplify things and just flat out say, the treadmill is better than the eliptical.   Because the reasons why we exercise all together is so complex, I’d never want anyone to take me too literally.  Of course, among the biggest factors in adherence to any long-term program, is that you enjoy (ok, maybe that is too strong a word!) what you are doing…so if you HATE the treadmill, or you are absolutely SICK of it, then do what you WILL consistently do!  (There are ways to measure your intensity better on bikes and elipticals, by checking your heart rate, etc)

This entry isn’t meant to declare the treadmill as “lord of the exercise machines” - because as Vickie mentioned, the rowing machine can be more efficient at burning calories (as can many other options).  I sometimes oversimplify things just to get a specific idea across…this one being, if you choose an exercise that is very self regulated (in terms of intensity level), you run the risk of going easier on yourself.  Not a bad thing, but just something to keep in mind if you want to maximize your results and minimize the time it takes!

I am by no means saying that the 90 minute spin class I take on Saturdays is easy at all!